Flush tank



G. H. LOYD FLUSH TANK Aug. 28, 1956 Filed Dec.

IN V EN TOR. 60/700 H. L 0 YD v Quay United States Patent FLUSH TANKGordon H. Loyd, Hanford, Calif.

Application December 9, 1953, Serial No. 397,085

1 Claim. (Cl. 4-57) This invention relates to flush tanks and moreparticularly to a water control therefor.

Rural districts in particular employ septic tanks, because of theabsence of sewerage systems and the contents of toilet bowls are flushedinto these tanks and frequently with much more water than is necessary.From time to time these septic tanks must be pumped out. This requiresconsiderable time in many cases and would be needless if the water usedin flushing the toilet bowls could be controlled and minimized Whereonly a limited amount of water was necessary, as when the bowl hadmerely been used for urination.

Therefore, it is an important object of the present invention to providecontrol means for the usual toilet flush tank, whereby a full amount ofwater can be used in flushing the bowl when the requirement demands, orin the instance where there is very little foreign matter to be flushedor simply urine to be flushed, a small amount of flush water isemployed.

Another object of the invention is to provide means in conjunction withflush tanks for the conservation of water and also to save frequentpumping out of septic tanks.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a flush tankconstruction of the character stated which is of simple construction andcapable of being manufactured and retailed at a low monetary figure.

These and various other objects and advantages of the invention willbecome apparent to the reader of the following description.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the improvedflush tank showing the mechanism thereof in side elevation.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevational and vertical sectional view ofthe flush tank mechanism.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals designate like parts, itcan be seen that reference character A denotes a flush tank having afront wall 5, a rear wall 6, end walls 7, 8 and a bottom wall 9.

Threadedly disposed through the bottom 9 is a fitting 10 to which theusual flush pipe (not shown) is attached. The upper portion of thefitting 10 is flared to provide a valve seat structure 11 upon whichfloat 12 can rest and of course perform its valvular action.

In further carrying out the present invention, a bracket 13 extends overthe valve seat 11 and has a post 14 rising therefrom. A collar 15 at amedial portion on the post 14 has an arm 16 extending laterallytherefrom and this arm is provided with a ring 17 which serves as aguide for a vertically slidable tube 18, this tube 18 being cupped atits upper end as at 19 to receive a ball float 20 fixed on a verticalrod 21, this rod extending downwardly through ice a guide spider 22within the tube 18, the lower end of the rod 21 being provided with asmall head 23 which prevents the rod 21 from rising in the tube 18 abovethe spider 22, the upper end of the rod 21 above the ball float 20 ispivotally connected as at 24 to an elongated arm 25 which is preferablyconnected to a crank on a shaft 26 journalled through the front wall 5of the tank, the outer end being provided with a handle 27.

A guide 28 is provided at the upper end of the post 14 for the upperportion of the rod 21.

In the use and operation of this mechanism, it can be seen that by ashort movement of the handle 27, the ball 20 is lifted, inasmuch as itis aflixed to the rod 21 and will allow only a certain volume of waterto pass downwardly through the tube 18 and the outlet fitting 10 toflush the usual toilet bowl (not shown). When there is nothing much inthe way of material in the bowl, such as liquid matter and particularlyurine, only a small amount of water is necessary to flush the bowl. Thuswater is conserved and a surplus water is not admitted to the septictank. However, should full flush be desired the handle 27 should bemoved counterclockwise to its full extent, thus causing the rod 21 torise and the head 23 thereof to engage the spider guide 22, thus liftingthe tube 18 and removing the float 12 from the seat structure 11, thuspermitting the assembly to float as the entire contentsof the tankpasses downwardly through the fitting 10 to the bowl.

The amount of water liberated by lifting the upper valve or ball 20 canbe one-quarter, one-third or as much as one-half of the content of thetank.

While the foregoing description sets forth the invention in specificterms, it is to be undesrtood that numerous changes in the shape, sizeand materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

In a flush tank for toilet bowls, a tank having a bottom, a drainfitting extending through the bottom and having a valve seat at itsinner end, a vertical water discharge tube, a vertical post carried bysaid fitting, a guide on the post through which the tube is slidable, afloat at the lower portion of the tube adapted to rest upon said seat, avertically movable rod slidable within the tube and provided with a headat its lower end portion, a stop in the tube for said head, a secondvalve seat at the upper end of the tube, a second float on the rodengageable with said second seat, a control handle, an elongated armcontrolled by said handle, said arm being pivotally connected to theupper end of the rod, said arm being adapted to be moved upwardly byactuating the arm to lift the rod and remove the second float from itsseat to permit a limited amount of water to pass through the tube andinto the drain fitting, said rod being adapted to be lifted further sothat the head of the rod can engage the stop to lift the tube and thefirst-mentioned float in order to permit the entire contents of the tankto pass out through the drain fitting.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

